Living Water by Matt Beacham

There is quite a bit of commotion required to whip up a beautiful wave. Friction games the surface of the ocean as disruption fills the air. This is the same commotion that deposits snow on the mountain tops of the world. When the clouds clear, we are able to stand and stare at the beauty. If you think about it, this tumult and strife is found in every facet of life. Everything around us involves tension, even putting food on the table. No one has achieved a sculpted body without a tremendous amount of repeated friction. For this effect, we must create a tumult within ourselves, confusing the muscles into expanding and to burn the excess stored fat. It is usually very tumultuous to come into this world, and as tumultuous to leave it. As it turns out, many of the most beautiful and important parts of life are the result of a great measure of chaos. But it’s not chaos at all is it?

As surfers we are used to viewing the results of a tumult with great awe. We take pictures of its results and send them to our friends. We hang them on the walls, or make paintings of them. Ultimately, a surfer strives to physically experience the glorious results of a tumultuous situation.

Observing all this, when we come to the Christian faith it will come as no surprise that the greatest love story of all time is filled with strife. From the forecast, to the waiting, to conception, to birth, to life, to ministry, to His final days, to the resurrection, to the glory of Christ––it's all painted with the brush of friction. 

God made the waves to be whipped up by tumult, knowing full well a bunch of surfers would one day bask in the glory of all that disruption. After the turbulence of the cross, we may now stand in the quiet of the Prince of Peace and take mental pictures. We can share them with each other now, and hang them on the walls of our hearts.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. - James 1:2-3